Lesley Gore

Leader: Barbeque Downs, Sunninghill

I am a 40 something working mom and wife who only recently learnt the joy (and pain) of running.  By no means am I a super athlete and truth be told my running pace fluctuates between slow and average.  But I have learned that if I want to eat that little bit more I must run, If I want to sleep better I must run and if I want my mind body and soul to feel alive I must run.

At 42 when I first started running I couldn’t run to the nearest corner and I never ever believed that I would be able to run a 5km race. I started running after losing a lot of weight and I was determined that I was not going to put that weight back on, so I kept slogging at it and slowly but surely I started to be able to run further and further.

I entered my first 5km race just over 2 years ago. I remember how nervous I felt the night and morning before and completing that race was a momentous achievement for me.  I was bursting with pride and felt like I had just won the comrades.  I have never felt so accomplished. It was then that I realised how amazing the human body is and how you can change and progress beyond your wildest dreams.

From that race day on I kept on running and along the way encouraged friends that had stopped running years ago to start again, and friends that have never run to start running too.

I have run countless 10km races and quite a number of 21KM races, and have settled on 15km being my favourite race distance. As my race distances furthered I became more astounded that I, a junk food loving couch potato, could achieve so much!  For now I have ruled out ever doing a full marathon, but then again I had previously ruled out doing a 15km and 21Km too!

Running has a sneaky way of making you want to run more, dream more and achieve more than you ever thought you could.

Whether you are fast or slow, a beginner or an old hat, I hope you will join us so that we can run together and enjoy each other’s company while we strive to reach our own personal goals.

Download the App to join Lesley’s Group Runs.